Let's win one for the naked dude!

Man, what a show.

A few months ago, we all smiled and laughed about a naked guy in the rain at Dick's. About his boots. About his spirit. That seemingly innocuous stunt — one not terribly uncommon in the Phish world, mind you — transformed a rather damp evening into a celebration of life and body and spirit for all 27,000 people in attendance and countless others at home. I never knew Frenchie personally, though I enjoyed the hell of his stunt. I'm sad to hear about his health struggle and I mourn his loss with this community. He became a legend tonight, forever immortalized in Phish lore. What a champion.

And if you go there
and after you do
All of these dreams
would be yours to pursue
The rest of your lifetime
devoid of a care
If you keep your eyes open
you may find yourself there

Had that beautiful Curtain With, Carini -> Dreams combo been the best thing they did all night, this still would have been an all-time classic show. But can we talk about THE REST of this MFer for a minute?! What kind of send-off would this be if it didn't capture at least a little of that freewheeling spirit? I'm sure Frenchie would have been proud to know this one was all his.

We have a flawlessly executed Stash with palpable energy amongst the crowd. A certain electricity in the air. There's a slow burn to this Halfway to the Moon that carries over to Mike's lovely little oddball, Mull — a cool, simmering energy that you can feel in your fingertips and toes. You sense something powerful rumbling just beneath the surface. Undermine coalesces this feeling into a nervous lilt that builds to a minor frenzy — a climax, of sorts, before the big dance. Theme proves to be an unexpected triumph. A lovely little epilogue on a beautiful chapter.

The next one begins in a rather unassuming way. A solid, groovy My Soul. No frills, not much of a jam. It does its job reenergizing the crowd and gracefully steps aside. A workmanlike introduction. A pair of good boots.

And then there's that Tweezer.

Good God, what a Tweezer. I picture Frenchie sitting up on one of those rail-shaped clouds, wearing nothing but his boots and smile, as this absolute behemoth of a Tweezer enfolds and unfurls like some great cosmic snake sent to carry his soul off into the ether. It peaks early and it peaks HARD. Heavy metal gospel à la No Quarter. This would have been a perfectly suitable volta, but Phish wasn't ready to call it quits just yet. Maybe it's being in this holiest of holy Grateful Dead chapels. Maybe it's a nod to the free spirit in boots who decided to break the all rules one rainy evening. In the end, the motivation isn't nearly as important as the end result. We have this beautiful, messy, experimental, jammy, JAMMY Tweezer. They drop in a couple reminders here and there that we are still listening to Tweezer (thanks, fellas!), but never stick with the main theme for very long. By my tally, this jam included a raging heavy metal blowout, a dextrous rhythmic game, a warm, washed out ambient interlude, a clunky stop-start section with some delightfully awkward wooing, a triumphant major-key climax, and a loopy rhythmless afterglow that bleeds into what can best be described as an intro jam into Simple. This Tweezer is going to merit multiple listens and close study. It's not the most elegant one you've ever heard, but it's gotta be one of the longest. Tahoe, eat your heart out!

Now here's part where I tell you not to sleep on this Simple. And it's a really important part. Believe me. DO NOT SLEEP ON THIS SIMPLE. I realize that Tweezer, that great sloppy cosmic oddity, is a really tough act to follow. I don't envy the task before this Simple. We are talking about and all-time classic jam in the heart of an all-time classic show! Had this Simple been a fun little sing-along, I suppose we all would have left the show content and happy. But c'mon, man, we're doing doing it for the naked dude! The pressure is on and Simple has to come through BIG.

Well, it does. It really does. It's probably already blasphemy to say so, but I think Simple might be the better of the two big jams. It's streamlined and laser-focused. There's no deep searching here. No noodly experimentalism. This Simple runs downhill and a brisk clip and crosses the finish line like a pro. The Yin to Tweezer's Yang.

And if that all isn't enough, with eyes fixed firmly on the clock as we race toward our hard 10:00pm curfew, the band decides to give us one final hurrah — a celebration of life for those still living. It's always hard to lose a member of this community, but the band has made our mission crystal clear: live on behalf of those who are no longer with us. Live in their memory. Do big, bold things just for the hell of it because life is short and you never know how much time you've got.

In other words, win one for the naked dude.

Now, of course, the show's not over. What good memorial show would be complete without a good memorial song? Miss You is just lovely here — a poignant reminder of this show's emotional core. And it would have been a perfectly serviceable ending, too, on any other night...

But have we really learned nothing here? If we're going to live on behalf of those no longer with us, we need to go out DANCING. Thank Sand for that. We were still dancing out the exits. This show is already such an embarrassment of riches it's hard to believe they'd do something so brash, so BOLD. But, goddamn it, we've got a free spirit to honor here!

Thanks, Frenchie, for being THAT guy last year at Dick's. Thank you for making us all laugh and smile. I hope the band did right by you tonight. You will forever be a part of Phistory. Your passing, in its own weird way, has become a beacon for the rest of us — a reminder to keep on dancing to the fine, fine music while our lives are saved by Rock and Roll. Thank you, brother, for bein' you.

And thanks, Phish, for making my first trip to the Bay Area so goddamn memorable. I'll be smiling about this one for years to come. I can't believe we have two more nights!

This is the Band of Life.

When you look at this as a celebration of life show, it feels cohesive, intense, and revelatory. Most directly an aching and gorgeous memorial for the day-before passing of Frenchie, the superfan and Naked Dude from Dick's 2022 who inspired the incredible NYE Carini gag. (Go watch video of the two-dozen naked-in-boots-and-beards dancers that anchored the third set.) To me, Trey took this moment to craft a show that was an ode to all those we've deeply loved and lost in the last 40 years.

From that viewpoint, The Curtain With is a perfect opener as a gorgeous metaphor about beginnings and endings. Trey leaves no doubt that the Carini is for Frenchie and plays like a celebration of reckless wisdom. All of These Dreams is a poem to life and afterlife. The remainder of set one is mostly simple, mostly fun, and a little meandering. The cold seemed to manifest tech challenges, but hey, life is a series of challenges and the result of what you make of them, right?

My Soul opens set two and continues the rumination on life, but signals the start of the celebration part of the service. With the opening chords of Tweezer, even from the couch, one felt that this was going to be the big exploration for the night; the first several minutes were spent circling the gravity well with warm-up riffs and nuance to set the scene. Once we hit that event horizon, though, memories of life and afterlife merged. Joy, pain, tedium, patience, delirium, and more were all explored with curiosity of youth and the wisdom of age. Phish is at their timeless best when the music itself feels out of time. I was stunned when afterwards I saw it was 45 minutes; in the moment it felt half that length.

The seamless transition into Simple created a part two, of sorts, to what just happened. It got to the point with a swiftness and soared like a requiem crafted in warmth and the beauty of a sunlit cathedral. Rock and Roll truly has saved some of our lives and this night it served as scripture, delivered with extra-honeyed vocals from Page. Miss You speaks for its gorgeous self within the theme of the night. Some of our people may be gone, but really they are everywhere still. Sand was an unexpected but perfect "fare thee well" delivered with energy and hope that keeps us bouncing, touring, and striving.

Nothing but gratitude to the band and our community for giving us the space and place for a night like last night. Hug your people, love yourself, and maybe let's all live with a little bit of that reckless wisdom of a Naked Dude.

I don’t review shows often; then again, there aren’t many four song sets to choose from these days.

This one is great. Set 1 is reflective of the still-pouring-in fan base who had to wait on the LINE. Wow. A lot of nervous energy, people cutting through aisles looking for their crews. Plus security closed the stage-side return passage near us, causing huge pedestrian jam ups. Weird.

Still, this is Cali, and the crowd was mellow af. You’ll never see more weed at the dang Cannabis Cup. These puffers are straight pros, going hard all night long. I’d need a nap.

The Curtain was an amazing opener choice, and it sort of set the tone for the evening: MELLOW. At moments, we could hear a pindrop. One dude on line was sporting the Bob Weir STFU! T-shirt, and I had given him an approving nod earlier. He knew exactly how to read my reaction. Gotta love it.

Come to think of it, I didn’t see a whole lot of cell phone usage happening except for the occasional camera work. People danced, chatted, high-fived, met new neighbors, and smoked up!

Peeps were great, and it had always been my understanding that this is a symbiotic relationship. Well, a groovy, psychedelic, patient, thoughtful (for the most part), a little slowed down crowd does wonders for the subtle interplays happening on stage. The Tweezer jam, for example, is at turns one of the quieter jams I’ve heard from Phish. But it builds from that, and at about 12:30 or so, the jam really starts to fly. The sensation was like someone trying to double-clutch on a hill but suddenly finding a lock-on groove.

There were several moments like this, of serendipitous meet ups. Friends. Friends of friends. Online acquaintances becoming friends. All quite friendly and chatty. This is the Bay Area. A lot of pros. Tie-dyed Deadheads have a much more notable impact than almost anywhere else, and that’s just freakin’ great in my book. (Staying not too far from Sasha Shulgin’s hacienda, so . . . )

So, of course this Tweezer is the main attraction. But when they find the Simple, it’s a lock. When they find Rock and Roll, it’s a lock and release. Still, Trey was definitely feeling the 04/20/19 vibe all but playing Sea of Stars and just opting for the space instead. Oh, and what a space. Brain food.

Killer venue, great freakin’ people, something something “never felt like this before” = KILLER show.

tl;dr: Don’t believe the set 1 haters, listen to the whole show. Naturally good.

Astonishing Phish concert. Spent large portions of the second set literally covering my agape mouth with both hands because the music was jaw droppingly good.

Posted up all night on the third terrace above the pit, Mike side, inside the speaker rigging. Perfect audio mix ????1st set was first setty, but that’s entirely irrelevant and beside the point.

Was page side stands with a good friend and he and his dad's heady crew. It was a truly perfect second set. Heater my soul opener. Deep, exploratory, cohesive, vibrant jamming in tweezer and simple, and a clean high energy rock n roll close out. During the tweezer it felt like the crowd were spectators on a private phish rehearsal where they practice their jamming and four-way listening exercises. Superb musicianship. The crowd was locked in and enjoying the musical ride. Thank you Phish. Thank you.

Reposting for correct "Replay Value"

Replay value: Carini, Tweezer, Simple

Summary: I would rate this as a 4.2 out of five. Set one is solid yet understated. Set two is a moon shot. Tweezer is an obvious all timer yet far from perfect. But it’s super cool that the band still takes these sort of risks. Simple is fantastic and honestly – very well be the better jam pound for pound. After all these decades, this band still smokes. Thank you Phish!

Couch toured this show from start to finish. It was very solid. I will not lie, there was points where I thought the vocals were really half assed, or that the band sounded off in the first set. However the second set here is why I gave this show 5 stars. Its certainly a novel, with many chapters. Phish went for it in tweezer and delivered what I think was a memorable 40 minute jam. and it was followed up with a strong Simple and R&R. Definitely a great 2nd set.

At the end of the day, I understand why the rating isnt 4.5 or higher. This show had its meh moments. But in the end this was a fantastic trip to take with Phish. Very great 2 choices for the encore as well.

Score: 4.25 / 5

Hanging Banners

My God! I sit here in my home office a mere 15 minutes from the Greek pretending to pay attention to a Zoom call, but all I can think of is what I witnessed last night in Berkeley. I typically enjoy reading reviews of shows; the specific songs, what was good, what wasn't so hot, etc. But as I reflect on the Phish today and last night's show in particular, it would entirely miss the point of my experience last night to review this show song by song. We will look back on this era as a halcyon time to be seeing our favorite band. I chased Jerry around for much of my ill spent youth and loved much of what I saw (although after 1989 I think it was a slow decline that coincided with Jerry's health). In stark contrast, if Phish is not at peak powers in this era, we can all agree this era should be in the conversation of 'best ever' Phish. Last night was a prime example. While I found a number of songs in the first set were 'not for me' (as we teach our kids to say), by the end of those songs I was in love all over again.

And then they play that second set. There's a reason Trey wanted to broadcast these shows on Sirius. He's come to hang banners, and last night's Tweezer (and the second set in general) is the first banner. Can't wait for what's next tonight and tomorrow.

You win Phish. Check and mate. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

I sat in the taper section, and none of those lunatics seemed too bothered by any perceived sound anomalies to start. May have been more prevalent with at-home listening, as we all seemed content to be gathering our footing as the band did the same. Good thing we did before the Carini set off a headbanger ball that everyone was eager to do their part in. Rock and roll, indeed.

Rest of set 1 had some very solid moments and was a lot of fun. Page was very strong and Mike delivered on Mull. No complaints from me about Undermind doing its thing, and Bottom was full.

Being a few short miles off of SF Bay in the hills with the mist and at times COLD and wind was a distinct element of the experience that cannot be overstated. A very neat environment happens at the Greek.

Listening to set 2 after the show proved that not only does my buddy still know how to make a phine recording of a concert, but, yeah, set 2 was all that one needs. Four songs of sublime balance, no filler, no messing around. Miss You was so grounded, and Sand was perfect.

I intend on spending a lot of time with those final six songs.

DD

PHISH, MONDAY 04/17/2023
WILLIAM RANDOLPH HEARST GREEK THEATRE, UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, BERKELEY
Berkeley, CA

SET 1: The Curtain With: Rough intro! Trey’s guitar sounded like it was out of tune. Nice bustout – 117 show bustout! They get it together after that tough beginning and the jam is sounds wonderful.

Carini: For Frenchie, love this. RIP phanner. The vocals and composition are played a good bit faster than normal, right? Very solid version here, Trey was definitely picking it like crazy in the last three to four minutes, beautiful guitar playing – especially considering how cool it was this evening. Trey set up this exceptional and difficult segue for a good 10 seconds before pulling the trigger ->

All of These Dreams: Standard.

Stash: Fairly standard, well played I thought.

Halfway to the Moon: Personally, I am a fan of this song, and this is the perfect placement for it. Soaring version! Trey struggles a good bit with the wrap up though.

Mull: Again, fan of this tune. Love the bouncy nature of it, it’s catchy. >

Undermind: Good version.

Theme From the Bottom: Fine version. Trey hits one nice peak, crowd shows much love, and his next notes are really sour, lol. But it’s a nice Theme to close the set.

SET 2: My Soul: Good energy coming out of the break. >

Tweezer: The first 18 minutes or so are somewhat underwhelming. Lots of strumming and effects. Trey starts playing in earnest around the 19 minute mark and that is where this takes off. But it’s awash in effects by the 22 minute mark again and very mellow. I like what Fishman is doing around the 24 minute mark. Sounds amazing. Bringing them out of the mellow patch. Very heavy and the rest of the band follows suit. Awesome section. Slow, Tweezer Reprise sort of sounding stuff in the late 20’s. Aggressive! The abrupt transition back into Tweezer at the 29 minute mark is jarring, not great there at all. Then they go fishing for WOOO’s, really? Yuck. The next ten minutes are awash in effects, so that is cool if that’s your thing. I liked this section a good bit. At 37:12, Trey opts for the crutch of the standard major chord, bliss jam – not surprising at all really. Sick segue though! ->

Simple: Down and dirty, in the muck and the mire (and effects) through 12 minutes. Emerging out of that comes an upbeat jam that almost sounds ever so slightly like something you would hear out of some classic rock staple. It’s GREAT. In the 14 minute range it has a Dicks 2014 Simple feel to it, good stuff. Trey stays understated yet focused and leading. He doesn’t truly unleash the celebratory stuff until late in the 15’s and from there it would be perfect timing to unleash confetti cannons. Hose city! >

Rock and Roll: Standard.

ENCORE: Miss You – Love this song and love this placement.

Sand: Standard lil’ version here and only the third time seen in the encore slot. Great way to end a great show.

Replay value: Carini

Summary: I would rate this as a 4.2 out of five. Set one is solid yet understated. Set two is a moon shot. Tweezer is an obvious all timer yet far from perfect. But it’s super cool that the band still takes these sort of risks. Simple is fantastic and honestly – very well be the better jam pound for pound. After all these decades, this band still smokes. Thank you Phish!